Sunday, June 3, 2012

Summer Season: Rhubarb Compote

Summer is in full swing and that means delicious tomatoes (probably my favorite fruit/veg of all) and beautiful stalks of rhubarb. Inspired by the UK's obsession with rhubarb - rhubarb yogurt and pies are always available at all seasons- I thought I'd make my own compote that can be spread on anything or mixed into fresh yogurt. Best place to buy summer's goodness? At the farmer's market.

Simple Rhubarb Compote

1 1/2 lbs rhubarb (4 cups 1/2 inch pieces)

1 cup sugar

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine rhubarb pieces with sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium-high heat, stirring.

Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. You want it to reduce to a thick syrupy consistency, in all around 10 minutes.

After it is cooked down, let the compote cool then transfer to a jar or container and place in the fridge. I find glass containers perfect for storing homemade condiments.

It is wonderful on yogurt, on pancakes or french toast as I did the other morning :) If you want to make Strawberry-Rhubarb compote, simply add strawberries in the pot.

** Remember to not include any of the rhubarb leaves! They are poisonous and cannot be eaten.**

6 comments:

We make a lot of great things with rhubarb in Sweden, but one of my favorites as a kid was just walking around trying to eat the incredibly sour stalks... I'd nibble away at one stalk for hours, making faces all the while.

I did. I'm very impressed with all of this, you're quite talented. Have you tried salmiak? It's a special kind of salty licorice that we eat a lot in the Nordic countries. If you haven't tried, I can highly recommend it.

Actually, yes! I tried it in a Danish candy shop in Edinburgh, Scotland, of all places! I really loved it! The owner of the shop was impressed she said the one I had was super salty. It was a coin-shaped one; I bought a bag of them...yum!

Hi I'm Sabrina, better known as Bean! I'm an American environmentalist, traveler, and foodie living in Hamburg. I believe food brings people together. I'm bringing you eats from my travels and my expat kitchen.